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Ed Sheeran Covers Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters Of War’ For ONE [VIDEO]

Ed Sheeran has joined Bono in The ONE Campaign’s fight to eliminate poverty around the world. The organization, which takes up social causes all over the world is hitting the G-8 Summit that will take place in Northern Ireland next week.

Bono, the founder of ONE, and lead singer of the band U2, is trying to bring attention to the critical poverty in Africa, when leaders from around the world meet to discuss economic issues at the Summit. He is calling this effort agit8.

As part of the effort he has brought old legends and new artists together, including Sheeran, to record some of the most iconic war songs of all time. The ONE website released the tracks earlier, with a complete history of each of the songs chosen, including their lyrics.

Ed Sheeran has recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s famous war protest song Masters of War for agit8. The song talks about the Cold War arms build up that took place in the early 1960s.

Bob Dylan explained his song was, “speaking against what (President) Eisenhower was calling a military-industrial complex as he was making his exit from the presidency.”

In 1961, President Eisenhower delivered his farewell speech from the Oval Office. During this address he warned, “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”

The song was written and recorded by Dylan in 1963 for Broadside Magazine. In September of 2001, Dylan linked his song to Eisenhower’s speech.

Now this new take on the song by the English ballad singer is making waves. He first came into the spotlight in 2011 with his award winning album Plus (using the symbol +), which included the hit songs The A Team, You Need Me, I Don’t Need You, and Lego House.

His new version of the legendary war song has caught people’s attention. Watch and listen to Ed Sheeran’s rendition of Masters of War.